“The Maravillas: Gangs, Aging, and Mattering in East Los Angeles,” by Dr. Randol Contreras

Dr. Randol Contreras spent close to a decade studying the legendary Maravilla gangs of East Los Angeles. Once celebrated in the gang world as rebels who defied the established inmate prison order, veterano Maravilla gang members now grapple with the consequences of leading violent lives. This talk sheds light on how these aging men struggle to stay meaningful in the face of drug addiction, violent trauma, and a rapidly changing East Los Angeles. They try to matter through the church and drug treatment, but also through racism, xenophobia, and clashes with the younger generation of Maravillas. In all, this talk gives human faces to the suffering and struggles of some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

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